Chapter 203

Ella POV

The next morning, Alexander still hadn’t returned to the apartment. Needing a distraction, I decided to head to the gym.

I’d been training more and more with Trevor ever since my wolf awakened. He was an expert in weight training—his broad shoulders were proof enough—and he’d explained that strengthening my frame would make the transition between my human and wolf forms smoother. At least, that’s what he claimed.

I arrived early, just as the gym opened. Trevor was already there, his usual focused energy buzzing beneath the surface. We chatted briefly about my workout plan for the day before he left me to warm up on my own.

Cardio first—then, when I was ready to move to weights, Trevor would come back to spot me. The last thing I needed was to drop a barbell on myself because my mind was too tangled with thoughts of Alexander.

I tried not to let the worry gnaw at me. This wasn’t the first time Alexander had stayed out past morning, but now I knew where he was—acting as the Ice King, dealing with rogues and criminals. The weight of that knowledge sat heavily on me. I had no idea what kind of danger he might be facing.

I forced myself to focus, pushing harder on the treadmill, driving my legs faster than usual. Maybe if I burned through enough energy, I could drown out the anxiety clawing at my thoughts.

By the time I stepped off the machine, my body was slick with sweat, my breath ragged, but instead of frustration, I felt a flicker of pride. I was getting stronger.

I had to be. If I was going to stay by Alexander’s side—if I was going to be the Luna he deserved—I couldn’t afford weakness.

The gym had filled by then, pulsing with the beat of a rhythmic song from the speakers. The televisions mounted high on the walls were streaming the news. Out of habit, my eyes drifted to a screen—and then my blood turned to ice.

Amanda’s face filled the screen.

Below her photo, one word burned into my vision: WANTED.

I scanned the captions as they crawled across the bottom of the screen.

“Amanda Gray is wanted for questioning in connection to suspected rogue activity. If seen, please report to the King’s Guard.”

I stared, stunned. Up until now, the king had kept the arrests of David and Archer quiet. But this—this public manhunt—was something else entirely.

Seeing Amanda’s face, my former best friend’s, plastered across the screen like that was a bitter pill to swallow. I should have felt relief. I should have been glad she was finally facing the consequences of her betrayal.

But all I felt was a hollow sadness.

I tore my attention away from the screen. No one around me seemed to notice the broadcast; they were all too focused on their own workouts. I forced myself to do the same. Grabbing my water bottle, I took a long drink before going to find Trevor.

He was waiting near the front desk and grinned broadly when he saw me approach.

“Ready to get to work?” he asked.

I nodded, forcing a smile onto my face. “Ready when you are.”

From the corner of my eye, a flash of pale yellow hair caught my attention. My heart lurched. I turned, and for the briefest moment, I caught a glimpse of a face I had only ever seen in memories and old photographs.

Sabrina.

I blinked rapidly, my pulse pounding in my ears. She couldn’t be here. It was impossible. And yet… when I looked again, she was gone.

That looked like Sabrina, I thought, the hairs on the back of my neck prickling. But what would she be doing in the capital? Hadn’t Alexander said she married someone in the Northern Kingdom?

“Well, let’s hit it,” Trevor said, rounding the counter and clapping a large, friendly hand on my shoulder. His voice snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts.

“Right,” I murmured, following him toward the weight machines.

I cast one last glance around the gym, but she was nowhere to be found.

Maybe I imagined it, I told myself. It had to be someone else.

But deep down, I knew what I had seen.

And whatever it meant—it couldn’t be good.

Alexander POV

“I think it goes without saying that this is very bad,” August muttered as he stepped up beside me.

I didn’t look at him, my gaze locked on the trembling boarder guard in front of us. He’d given us all the information he could, but it wasn’t enough—not by a long shot. The fear in his eyes told me he had nothing left to offer.

I kept my anger in check, my voice low and cold. “I want the security footage. Then I never want to see your face again.”

“Yes, sir,” the man stammered, stumbling backward before turning and bolting into the guard shack.

Only when we were alone did I give August my full attention. “You’re right. This is very bad. If Amanda’s crossed into the North, we might never find her.”

“The king waited too long to announce she was wanted,” August said, his jaw tight with frustration. “I get that he wanted to avoid a public scandal, but this is bigger than him now. Too big to keep under wraps.”

I nodded grimly. “All we can do now is pool our resources and watch the border. We don’t even know for sure if it was Amanda who crossed—and even if it was, there’s no telling if she’s come back.” I exhaled slowly, the weight of the situation settling on my shoulders. “I can’t see her lasting long in the Roguelands. She’s not built for that kind of life.”

August snorted. “She’s too spoiled. She wouldn’t survive roughing it for long.” He paused, then lowered his voice. “So, what do you think she’s planning?”

My fists clenched at my sides. “She’s using her brother’s connections. Whatever she’s doing, she’s setting the stage for something big.”

A chill crawled up my spine as an uneasy feeling coiled in my gut. This has to do with Ella. It always does.

If Amanda Gray thought she was going to drag my wife through more pain, she was dead wrong. She was going to pay for everything she’d done so far. And if she dared to take it any further—

Whatever punishment the king could come up with wouldn’t be nearly enough.

The sharp chime of August’s phone cut through the tension. He glanced down at the screen, and I watched the color drain from his face.

Great, I thought bitterly. More bad news.

I waited until he finally met my gaze, his hesitation speaking volumes. “What is it?” I asked, my voice low and tight.

“You asked me to look into Sabrina,” he began cautiously.

The dread in my chest deepened. “Yes?”

“She’s been spotted in the capital.”

A surge of emotions crashed through me—sadness, anger, confusion, frustration—but none of them clung to me the way they once would have. Of course, Sabrina’s presence couldn’t mean anything good. But the heartache she’d once left behind… it didn’t cut as deep anymore.

A small, unexpected smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. This must be Ella’s influence, I thought. Being with her has dulled the sting of what I went through with Sabrina—at least a little.

“We’ll deal with that when we get back,” I told August. His confused expression didn’t surprise me, but I just shrugged, a flicker of grim amusement in my voice. “What real damage could Sabrina do? Even if she has some devious plan, we won’t be blindsided. We’ll handle her just like we’ll handle Amanda.”

Before August could respond, the sharp bang of a door flying open seized both our attention. The guard rushed toward us, breathless and pale, clutching a thumb drive like his life depended on it.

That’s right, I thought, focusing my attention back on the real threat. One crisis at a time. Whatever Sabrina’s up to can wait—this comes first.